Adaptive trail cameras

• US 10,560,622 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2017
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph F. Hlatky, Steven D. Thomas Jr
• Original Assignee: Joseph F. Hlatky, Steven D. Thomas Jr
• Inventors: Hlatky, Joseph F., Thomas, Jr., Steven D
• Primary Examiner(s): Navas, Jr., Edemio
• Application Number:
  US15/836,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20190098199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 794 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes

Abstract

Example techniques are disclosed for altering trail camera settings when deployed. For example, settings relating to triggering functionality, time lapse functionality, image resolution, motion sensor sensitivity, flash intensity, and other camera functions can be altered. The settings can be altered based on environmental conditions such as weather and ambient noise. The settings can also be altered based on trail camera conditions such as available battery capacity or image storage capacity. The trail camera settings can also be altered based on images obtained by the trail camera, with or without analyzing content of the images.

Claims

1. A trail camera comprising:

a microphone;

a lens;

a motion sensor;

a flash; and

a controller configured to;

initially upon being deployed, begin operation of the trail camera according to the first trail camera settings, including at least a first motion sensor sensitivity setting of the motion sensor;

detect ambient noise using the microphone; and

based at least upon the ambient noise detected by the microphone exceeding a threshold, and in the absence of current user input, transition the motion sensor from the first motion sensor sensitivity setting to a second motion sensor sensitivity setting, the second motion sensor sensitivity setting being relatively less sensitive than the first motion sensor sensitivity setting.

2. The trail camera of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

after the motion sensor has been in the second motion sensor sensitivity setting for a designated period of time, transition the motion sensor back to the first motion sensor sensitivity setting.

3. A trail camera comprising:

a lens;

a motion sensor;

a flash; and

a controller configured to;

initially upon being deployed, begin operation of the trail camera according to first trail camera settings, including at least a first motion sensor sensitivity setting of the motion sensor; and

when fewer than a specified number of triggers occur by a specified time after the trail camera is initially deployed, transition the motion sensor from the first motion sensor sensitivity setting to a second motion sensor sensitivity setting in the absence of current user input, the second motion sensor sensitivity setting being relatively more sensitive than the first motion sensor sensitivity setting.

4. The trail camera of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to:

set the specified number of triggers based at least on user input.

5. The trail camera of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to:

set the specified time based at least on user input.

6. A trail camera comprising:

a lens;

a motion sensor;

a flash; and

a controller configured to;

operate in a triggering mode during a given time period, the trail camera capturing pictures in response to motion sensor triggers by the motion sensor in the triggering mode;

after expiration of the given time period, automatically transition from the triggering mode to a time lapse mode at a particular time for another time period, the trail camera capturing pictures at regular intervals in the absence of motion sensor triggers in the time lapse mode; and

after expiration of the another time period, automatically transition back to the triggering mode at a further time for a further time period.

7. The trail camera of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to:

set the given time period during which to operate in the triggering mode based at least on user input.

8. The trail camera of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to:

set the another time period during which to operate in the time lapse mode based at least on user input.

9. The trail camera of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

set the given time period and the another time period at the same designated clock times for each day.

10. The trail camera of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

set the given time period and the another time period as designated times relative to sunrise or sunset,

wherein the controller is further configured to adjust when the trail camera enters the triggering and time lapse modes on different days to account for changing sunrise or sunset times on the different days.

11. A trail camera comprising:

a lens;

a motion sensor;

a flash; and

a controller configured to;

when in a time lapse mode, capture pictures at regular intervals in the absence of triggers by the motion sensor; and

when in a triggering mode;

cause the trail camera to take a first number of pictures per trigger by the motion sensor during daytime; and

cause the trail camera to take a second number of pictures per trigger by the motion sensor during nighttime, the second number being different than the first number.

12. The trail camera of claim 11, wherein the second number is less than the first number.

13. The trail camera of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

set the first number based at least upon user input.

14. The trail camera of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

set the second number based at least upon user input.

15. The trail camera of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the trail camera to transition from taking the first number of pictures to the second number of pictures per trigger at the same first designated clock time each day; and

cause the trail camera to transition from taking the second number of pictures to the first number of pictures per trigger at the same second designated clock time each day.

16. The trail camera of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

adjust times of day when the trail camera takes the first number of pictures or the second number of pictures per trigger to account for changing sunrise and sunset times.

17. The trail camera of claim 11, further comprising a light sensor, wherein the controller is configured to distinguish daytime from nighttime using the light sensor.